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Wednesday, 30 December 2009

Walking home from the library, aged 13 or 14, I had never been so excited. I was supposed to be getting books for a school project, and had stumbled across "Charge! or How to play war games" by Brigadier Peter Young and Lt Col James Lawford. Flicking through the intriguing pages, I spotted the first pictures of the armies laid out below their start lines for the action at Blasthof Heath. I was hooked.

It would be my “Desert Island book”. And with two small armies of Staddens, Surens and Spencer Smiths (balanced forces of horse, foot and guns) as my “Desert Island luxury”, I would hope never to be rescued!

In my early wargaming years, I dreamed of being able to faithfully replicate the units and actions fought out in Charge. And, for some time now I have been building up my "Classic Wargaming" collection, and so thought this blog would be a useful way of charting progress.

Now, some might say, "but Phil, why not just include this on The Blasthof Blog?" (a group blog, set up recently, and familiar to most readers I should imagine). Well, in short, I feel it would be inappropriate for me to hog team "air time" or monopolise space there.

So this blog will simply chart the development of my collection, and include pictures of units as I finish them, and games as I play them.

First up is the Erbprinz regiment, included previously elsewhere, but posted here for a good start to what I hope will be a fun journey, recreating what I call "Classic Wargaming".

In the upcoming posts, as well as showing the development of the collection, I will also be looking at the unit organisation laid down in Charge, outlining a few minor changes I have made, and also documenting the development of my own set of rules, very much in the flavour of the original, but rationalised for my own use, including an answer to the question, "what are all those officers, drummers, and sergeants for?"

Charge! The Cast of Characters

Count von Kornberg – commanding Imperial forces at Blasthof Bridge, and later playing a significant role at Sittangbad

Dr J Evans Mudd – noted military historian who commented on conduct of both generals at Blasthof Heath, and subsequently "thought it wise to study the natural beauties of neutral Switzerland."

Princess Catherine of Hesse-Damall – kidnapped by the Elector thereby igniting the campaign that led up to Sittangbad

Archduke Guitar – commander of the Imperialist field army sent to seize the Electoral capital. His army was defeated and he, relieved of its command, returned over the Weser before the Battle of Sittangbad.

General Lentulus – replaced Guitar and was Imperial commander at Sittangbad

Lt Col Fuchs – Lentulus’ chief of staff

General Sapt- commander of the contingent billeted in Sittangbad; Lancers de saxe, Pandour regt, and B battery field artillery.

Units in "Charge!"

These units are named / photographed. Other units do appear in photographs and their identity can be gleaned from the text, but all is not always as it seems!

To illustrate line infantry organisation and formations:-Erbprinz regt

Used as example illustrations accompanying the text. Whether they were simply names devised for that purpose or these units did in fact exist is not made clear:-1st Fieldboot Battalion-2nd Sharpshooters-3rd Whisky Mac regt

Used for the section illustrating combat, with Smith and Jones as the players:-The Pultava Guards (appear to be The Erbprinz in another guise!)-B Battery, Royal Thracian Artillery-Douro Grenadiers – the unit appears in the photos of Sittangbad, and must be acting under a different name-Musselburgh Fusiliers - ditto

On the sample order sheet. Again, perhaps simply named for the purpose of illustrating the sheet, although some do appear to have been real on-table units, appearing in Sittangbad:-Kornberg’s Cuirassiers-Von Bock’s Dragoons-Lanciers de Saxe-5 Jaeger-6 Jaeger-Pandour Grenadiers-Isembourg Regt-7th Regt-2nd Engineers Regt

Additional units are mentioned in The Wargames Companion. Thanks to Charles S Grant for documenting these in that wonderful accompaniment to his father’s work, The Wargame. The chapter dealing with Peter Young is littered with wonderful stories about the man, and lists more of his figures. Amongst these are such enticing names as the Schnurrband Infantry, theUhlans Brittaniques and the Montmirail militia.